Battery hold-down clamp



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INVENTOR.

DeC. 20, 1949 MEYER 2,491,997

BATTERY HOLD-DOWN CLAMP Filed Dec. 25, 1946 flaw .5 Meyer Patented Dec. 20, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BATTERY HOLD-DOWN CLAMP Harvey E. Meyer, Blue Springs, Mo. Application December23, 1946, Serial No. 717,964

1 Claim.

This invention has to do with a hold down clamp for positively holding a storage battery for automobiles or the like in a solid and virtually immovable condition when the same is operably associated with the automobile.

One of the most difficult problems in the field of providing storage batteries for automobiles or other mobile structures, is to provide a satisfactory and sturdy means for holding the battery in place to the end that the same will not become damaged through jars and jolts as the automobile travels.

Many of various types of clamping means have heretofore been designed and used but all are undesirable because the same soon become corroded through chemical acids emanat ng from the battery through rust and breaking generally. It is, therefore, the primary object of this invention to provide a battery hold down clamp which is extremely strong, inexpensive to manufacture, easily mounted and removed from operative position associated with the battery and which is adapted for re-use after many removals thereof to release the battery for replacement, re-charging or the like.

The most important object of this invention is to provide a battery hold down clamp comprising a body formed by a continuous band circumscribing the uppermost edge of the battery and having a flange portion of a part thereof which is disposed in overlapping relation as a part of the uppermost wall of the battery when the same is in operative use.

Another important object of this invention is to-provide a battery hold down clamp having a continuous band circumscribing a portion of the battery which band is substantially L-shaped in cross sectional contour to the end that one leg thereof irths the side and end walls of the battery and the other leg is disposed in overlapping bearing contact with the marginal portion of the uppermost face of said battery and the provision of a pair of opposed loop members for receiving tie rods or the like extending upwardly from a supporting plate or other framework for the battery in underlying relation therewith.

Other objects include the unique manner of forming a blank from which the continuous band is made; the manner in which the free ends of said continuous band are interconnected; and the way in which a number of notches are formed in one edge of said blank to present lines of bend :0 facilitate the formation of said continuous and.

Referring more specifically to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective vieW of the battery hold down clamp made in accordance with my present invention and showing the same in association with a fragmentary view of a battery, the battery being shown in dotted lines with the tie rods in full lines.

Fig. 2 is a substantially central longitudinal cross sectional view taken on line II-II of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the blank for the band forming a part of the battery hold down clamp.

The numeral l0 designates broadly a battery of the conventional type having the usual connecting bars l2, the positive and negative posts [4 and the caps It for closing the filling apertures of the battery, all disposed upon the uppermost face l8 of battery I0. It is clear therefore, that any means for holding the battery H! in position upon a supporting structure, must necessarily leave virtually the entire upper face it of battery Iii clear to the end that the posts It and the caps 16 are left exposed and always accessible.

The hold down clamp forming a part of this invention accomplishes this purpose and constitutes a continuous band broadly designated by the numeral .20. This band is L-shaped in cross sectional contour and when formed in the manner illustrated in Fig. 1, presents a polygonal opening 22 which is in encircling relation with all ,of 3 the above described parts on the uppermost face.

it of battery I!) with coplanar legs or flanges 24 thereof extending inwardly from the outermost edge of battery I0 and in overlapping relation with the face la. The other legs 25 of the band 20 extend downwardly from the legs it along the side and end walls of battery it! and in circumscribing relation with the said side and end walls.

Rigidly secured to that portion of leg 26 of band 2!! constituting the ends walls of the hold down clamp, is a pair of loop members 28. These members 28 are secured to the leg 26 in any suitable manner and preferably by spot welding as is clear in Fig. 1. When the clamp comprising band 2!] and the loop members 28 is disposed in the operative position illustrated in Fig. 1, a pair of fastening devices such as tie rods 29 extending upwardly along the ends of battery It! from a supporting member (not shown) underlying the battery, passes through each of the loop members 28 respectively and is secured in place by conventional means such as a nut or the like (also not shown) threaded upon the tie rods and disposed above the loop members .28. In other words, these tie rods constitute merely bolts having one end band is such that the legs 26 thereof tightly circumscribe the side and end walls of battery l0 and the legs or flanges 24 have continuous bearing contact along the entire length. of the margins of the face l3 of the battery.

Fig. 2 of the drawing clearly illustrates "the blank from which the band Zll forming a part of the battery hold down clamp is formed. This band constitutes .a relativel narrow sheet of initially fiat material and .is provided with a longitudinal line of bend 30' disposed 'interrne dia'te the longitudinal edges thereof and substan tiall midway to set off the legs 24 and '25 of the band j2ll. .A number of transverse lines of fold '32 also form a part of the blank shown in Fig.3 for setting off the ends and sides of the leg 25 of band 29.. Extending inwardly vfrom the longitudinal edge of the blank defining one edge. I

of the leg 24 are a plurality of V-shaped notches 34 which notches 34 terminate at the longitudinallineof bend 31L It is clear. that when the blank is folded ..on the line of bend '30 and lines of fold 32 to the shape and contour illustrated in Fig. 1, the two edges of the notches 34 which separate the .legs or flanges and the inclined edges 36 formed at each end of the strip provide miter-shaped abutting ends to form a continuous bearing face.

When forming the blank .just described, one end of the leg 26 is extended beyond the proximal end of leg "24 to present a flap 38 defined by a line of fold 40. This flap 38 when folded at 4U overlaps the opposite end of this leg 25 and is spot welded or otherwise secured thereto asof the battery to. enhance rigidity of the band- It is also obvious that the flanges.

portions. having 'the miter-shaped abutting ends form a continuous bearing face against the 'marg'inal portion of the upper face of the battery so as to distribute pressure efiected by the fastening devices or tie rods 29 around the entire margin of the battery.

While only one form of my present invention has been described and illustrated, it is understood that many changes in details of construction may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed'as mew and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

.A battery hold down clamp adapted to girth the upper portion of a battery and comprising ashee't metal strip having a longitudinal bend and spaced snatches extending inwardly from one side edge to said bend in registry with transverse bends extending from the longitudinal bend to the:.epposite side edge of said strip to provide flange and band portions with one of the end-most band portions terminating i-n a flap overlying. the other endmost band portion and secured thereto for joining "said ends to ionma continuous girth about the battery with said band portions extending along thelength of and in closerelation with the side. and end walls of the battery and with said flange portions in coplanar relation and .directedinwardly from and coextensive with saidiband portions and hav ing .flat underia'ces adapted to overlap and di-- recth contactthe marginal portions of the upper. face of the battery along the entire length of said flange portions to enhance the rigidity of the band portions and loop members fixed to I outer sides of opposite band portions for receiving fastening. devices to anchor .the hold down clampwsaid notches being miter-shaped to iormabuttingfunconnected ends for said flanges in a common plane for independent movement of said flanges so that the flat underfaces conform with the'rmarginal portions of the upper face of.

the battery and provide continuous bearin contact around said marginal portions for distributing :pressure effected by the fastening devices. HARVEY E. MEYER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of-record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 820,896 Van Patten n May 15, 1906" 2,170,325- Harris0n--... Aug. 22-, 1939 2,306,833 Thannhauser an- .Dec. .29, 1942.

FOREIGN. PATENTS Number Country Date 95,441 Switzerland i- July 1, 19221 

